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Inhibitory Effect of Taurine on Biofilm Formation During Alkane Degradation in Acinetobacter oleivorans DR1

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Taurine, 2-aminoethanesulfonate, is known to function as an antioxidant or membrane stabilizer in eukaryotic cells, but its role in bacteria has been poorly characterized. Biofilm formation of Acinetobacter oleivorans DR1 was significantly reduced by taurine only during alkane degradation, suggesting that taurine affects alkane-induced cell surface. Structurally similar compounds harboring an amine group such as hypotaurine or ethylenediamine have a similar effect, which was not observed with sulfonate-containing chemicals such as ethanesulfonic acid, hexanesulfonic acid. Our biochemical assays and physiological tests demonstrate that taurine reduced cell surface hydrophobicity, which resulted in interruption of the interactions between cells and oily substrate surfaces, such that cells utilized alkanes less effectively. Interestingly, taurine-mediated reduction of quorum sensing (QS) signal production and QS-control sapA gene expression indicated that membrane permeability of quorum signals was also interfered by taurine. Composition and biomass of extracellular polymeric saccharides were changed in taurine-amended conditions. Taken together, our data provide evidence that amine-containing taurine can inhibit biofilm formation of DR1 cells during alkane degradation by (i) changing cell surface charge and (ii) reducing membrane hydrophobicity and QS sensing.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant to WP funded by the Korea government (MSIP) (No. NRF-2017R1A2B4005838).

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  1. Laboratory of Molecular Environmental Microbiology, Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea

    Hyo Jung Eom & Woojun Park

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HJE and WP designed the study. HJE performed all experiments and analysis. HJE and WP drafted the manuscript. HJE and WP provided substantial discussion and modifications. All authors contributed to and approved the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Woojun Park.

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Eom, H.J., Park, W. Inhibitory Effect of Taurine on Biofilm Formation During Alkane Degradation in Acinetobacter oleivorans DR1. Microb Ecol 74, 821–831 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-017-1010-2

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